#floorjack

Floor jacks are the handiest tools for any vehicle repair emergencies like breakdowns or accidents, along with of course, preventative measures like servicing and maintenance. However, before choosing a floor jack you must take various factors into consideration like the type of vehicle you have- heavy-duty trucks or regular family cars- and your own technical skills- professional or amateur. 

Basically, working to lift your vehicle effortlessly for the works of repairs or maintenance and other regular servicing, these jacks act as support systems for your car. Let us explain in a non-automotive-expert way. 

Remember Larry David (Seinfeld creator, for the uninitiated) from Curb Your Enthusiasm? In one of the earliest episodes (episode no.2 ‘Thor’ from season 2, to be exact, thank us later), as Larry is begrudgingly on his way to a meeting with Jason Alexander (the actor who played the character George Louis Costanza from Seinfeld) in Jason’s office, his car tire is slashed by a road bully, the titular Thor, who also happens to be a professional wrestler. 

Now, while that exact sequence of events is less likely to happen to you, what might still happen is you might have to take meetings consistently in someone else’s office instead of yours, entailing long drives like Larry in this case, which still significantly increases your chance of an upset tire (not to mention, an upset you)! 

And if you get in a tire emergency like Larry, you too might not know how to fix a tire like him and end up offering up to $30 for a tire repair (approximately $55 by today’s inflation adjusted values)! Good for you, they have this amazing device called a smartphone today which hosts a plethora of, what they have been calling, ‘apps’ (short for applications). In one of those apps, YouTube, you can look it up. 

When you search for “how to change a tire”, “fix a car tire DIY” or the likes in search engines like Google, or YouTube, one of the primary things the solutions expect or assume you to have is a floor jack. Yes, it is that essential! Without a floor jack, you cannot aspire to become the do it yourself (DIY) macho who gets themselves out of any mess (or at least, car tire related ones anyway)! You must stay stranded unless help arrives. 

How Do Floor Jacks Work?

Floor jacks work using myriad mechanisms of operation - like mechanical, hydraulic or fluid mechanics, electrical, compressed air, hybrid, etc.- but among them only the hydraulic floor jacks are the most widely used. 

To understand the workings of hydraulic floor jacks, let us understand how hydraulics in jacks work. Where conventional jacks wear out easily, hydraulic floor jacks are commonly used to lift loads high and heavy with ease, safety and speed for any maintenance purpose. 

Its components work in accordance with Pascal’s law (also known as Pascal's principle, or the principle of transmission of fluid-pressure), to produce applications in a range of fields beyond the automotive industry. 

But for the sake of this blog, we will only explore its mechanism in helping lift heavy duty military grade trucks and buses to smaller and lighter family cars off the ground for repairs and maintenance.  

Hydraulic floor jacks are mechanical devices used to lift heavy loads and forces like trucks, sports utility vehicles, or other types of cars, among other heavyweight items. The anatomy of any auto hydraulic jack can be broken down into these main parts, namely: 

Reservoir or buffer tank 

Pump with piston or plunger 

Pump lever or handle 

Check valve 

Main cylinder or ram 

Release valve 

Handle

The reservoir or buffer tank is the physical compartment of the floor jack which holds the hydraulic fluid or pump oil. When the handle or lever of the pump with piston or plunger is mechanically lowered or raised, it builds up pressure in the adjoining compartment, i.e., the reservoir or buffer tank containing the hydraulic fluid or pump's oil. 

This applied pressure is transferred from the pump through a check valve and into the main cylinder or the ram, which extends out of the jack body creating the required lifting force and lifting the load. 

Why Choose Floor Jacks? 

Size and Portability - Most floor jacks are designed to occupy less space, and are therefore lighter than other jacks, making them portable enough to be carried around.  

Does Not Jam - Floor jacks using hydraulic power to work are less likely to jam due to rust in the screw thread unlike mechanical jacks which work by using them.  

Weight Capacity - As hydraulics generate greater lifting force, these floor jacks can lift heavier loads compared to other jacks with minimum effort using fluid mechanics.  

Lift Range - This increased lifting force allows them to lift loads to greater heights, giving them a higher lift range. 

Simple to Use - It is easier to use as its working mechanism is simple, making it a convenient choice for a range of clientele, especially do it yourself-ers (DIY-ers). 

Durability and Reliability - Because of hydraulic floor jacks’ fewer moving parts, and fine quality build materials like high-grade steel, they can stand corrosion, rust, oxidation, deterioration, and wear and tear of lifting for decades to come. 

Low Profile - Floor jacks usually have an extended and elevated reach while offering sustained and stable lift and minimal upkeep needs. 

Safety - Floor jacks engage automatically at different heights, lifting the entire front or rear of your vehicles without any danger. 

Maneuverability - Floor jacks often come with roller wheels that guarantee ease and impressive mobility, while making them highly adjustable.  

Versatility and Flexibility - Floor jacks fit virtually any pit or ramp application due to their compact design. 

Best Floor Jacks for Trucks and Car in 2024:

You will realize while using hydraulic floor jacks that jack stands become a necessity for their reliable lifting and safe suspension solutions. But jack stands are always an expensive investment. 

That is why standesign.ca, the Best Truck and Auto Jack Manufacturing Company in North America, came up with hydraulic or air bag floor jacks that do not need stands. Check out our selection of Stan Design Inc.’s top air bag and hydraulic floor jacks.

1. Scorpion TJ12S:

Capacity- 24,000 lbs./ 12 Tons 

Only 8’’ Collapsed Height 

Lifts Over 15.75” 

2. Scorpion TJ12SL:

Capacity- 24,000 lbs./ 12 Tons 

Only 7.5’’ Collapsed Height 

Lifts Over 15” 

3. Scorpion TJ14:

Capacity- 28,000 lbs./ 14 Tons 

Only 8.25” Collapsed Height 

Lifts Over 20” 

4. Stan Design's Scorpion TJ12E 

Capacity- 24,000 lbs./ 12 Tons 

Only 8’’ Collapsed Height 

Lifts Over 15.75” 

2 Extendable Arms 

5. Scorpion MJ25: 

Capacity- 25,000 lbs./ 12.5 Tons 

Lifts Over 36” 

Extendable Beam with Stackable Adapters Designed for All Military Vehicle Applications 

6. Bonus: BIG RED T83006 Torin Hydraulic Trolley Service/ Floor Jack 

Capacity- 6,000 lbs./ 3 Tons 

Lifts Over 20”